Occupational Therapy News OTnews July 2019 | Page 36

‘‘ FEATURE CREATIVE ARTS This group offered fortnightly evening circle dance sessions for adults with mental health Circle dance is a problems. Over time, circle dance, became a very revival of a very ancient art important leisure activity form, which for thousands of for group members who years allowed people from attended on a regular different cultures to express basis and who showed great commitment to the themselves through group. movement and dance. Following a re- structuring of the social care service, the circle dance group became an independent community group. This was possible thanks to the involvement of the local community volunteer service, which played a vital role in securing funding for the I have had the opportunity to publish articles and to present my PhD at various events and conferences in the UK, Europe, South Africa and in Brazil. This has helped me not only to hone my research skills, but has also given me the opportunity of spreading the word far and wide about the findings of my research with regards to the positive impact circle dance has on our well-being. In 2017, I ran a circle dance occupation station at the RCOT annual conference for 25 delegates. The session was structured to provide an opportunity for delegates to experience circle dance and to reflect on the therapeutic use of this form of dance. I have also introduced circle dance to BSc (Hons) and MSc Occupational Therapy programmes at the University of Cumbria as a tool for working with groups. Students learn the dances, reflect on their experience and consider the therapeutic use of circle group for many years. It was also vital to the sustainability of the project to have the invaluable contribution of volunteers. This group remained active for 14 years, offering fortnightly evening circle dance sessions for adults with mental health problems, ending in December 2016. dance in an occupational therapy setting. The students perceive circle dance as a potentially valuable tool for working with groups in various settings. However, they highlight the need for further training which would give them the necessary skills and confidence to apply circle dance in a therapeutic way. At present, I am embarking on a very exciting project at the University of Cumbria, designing and delivering circle dance training aimed at students and health professionals. From practice to research The work with this circle dance group inspired me to design a pilot study in 2004, in order to try to understand how the participants perceived the benefits of circle dance and their motivation for attending the community group. The results of this pilot study were first discussed in an article in OTnews (Borges da Costa 2004). This was also the seed of my PhD, completed in 2014, in which I investigated the potential contribution of circle dance to wellbeing through the subject field of occupational therapy and occupational science. The focus of my study was on the experience of people who are engaged in circle dance, outside the context of the health care system, in order to provide an understanding of the process of being engaged in this form of leisure occupation and its relation with well-being. I also investigated the pedagogical element of circle dance and its impact on people’s experience (Borges da Costa 2012; Borges da Costa 2014; Borges da Costa and Cox 2016). My doctoral journey was one which brought many rich and rewarding experiences along the way, thereby promoting my own personal, professional and academic growth. It has enriched me as an occupational therapist, as a circle dance teacher and as a researcher (Borges da Costa 2014). 36 OTnews July 2019 References Borges da Costa, AL (1998) Dance: the heritage within everybody’s hands. In Ramos, R. (ed) Sacred Circle Dance: a Proposal for Education and Health, (first ed). São Paulo: Triom, pp.19-24 Borges da Costa, AL (2004) Circle dance in occupational therapy. Occupational Therapy News, 12(12): 5 Borges da Costa, AL (2005) Circle dance in occupational therapy. Grapevine, Spring issue, p.11. Borges da Costa, AL (2012) Occupational therapy, circle dance and well-being: the need for research. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 75(2): 114-116 Borges da Costa, AL (2014) An investigation of circle dance as a medium to promote occupational well-being. PhD Thesis (unpublished): University of Bolton, U.K. Borges da Costa, AL, Cox, DL (2016) The experience of meaning in circle dance. Journal of Occupational Science, 23(2): 106-207 Fernandes, C. (2015) The moving researcher. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Dr Ana Borges da Costa, lecturer in occupational therapy, Department of Health, Psychology and Social Studies, email: [email protected]